Primeval

by Eden Redd

  Val, Morgan, Stella, and Milly watched as Will rushed to the fallen creature, hands taking hold of her.

  “It’s a kobold,” Milly smiled.

  Will looked down as the kobold looked up. Eyes smoothing to normal, she blinked as she tried to stand again. Will helped her, drinking in her 4-foot-tall frame. The kobold had a small snout. Her skin was smooth except for small patches of scales along her arms, outer thighs, lower legs and the backs of her hands. Her coloring was a mixture of faint red and light brown. No hair appeared anywhere on her body. Breasts were a pale brown with dark brown nipples. Small spots ran along parts of her skin, mostly close to the patches of scales.

  Will helped her to stand up. The kobold fought to stop the shaking in her legs and a moment later, she was standing on her own power. Letting go of his hands, the kobold covered her chest by crossing her arms.

  Will smiled. “Milly, can you get our guest something to wear?”

  Val eyed the kobold as two more creatures began to rise up from the other caskets. “What is happening here?”

  The player remained by the kobold’s side as she eyed the group gathered. “These are Soul Caskets. When some creatures die, they leave a soul stone. I have the knowledge to bring them back, awakened. They are no longer savage monsters.”

  Will gave the kobold a gentle smile. “What’s your name?”

  The kobold eyed him for a long moment before she answered. “Sil.”

  “Hello Sil,” Will whispered.

  Sil eyed the people again before looking to Will. “You killed me?”

  Will looked down, “You tried to kill me.”

  The kobold dipped her head. “I’m sorry. I feel a little confused.”

  Milly stepped in close to Will and knelt to the floor, holding a small red robe in her hands. “Please take this. We can make more clothes later.”

  Sil took the robe and quickly put it on. Holding the front closed, she stood with eyes on Will. Movement from the other caskets shifted everyone’s gaze. A wet red hand took hold of the side of the casket and a body oozed out onto the floor. The red slime glowed in the dim light. Liquid churned and rose up. A basic humanoid body formed before simple eyes and a mouth appeared. The feminine form shifted on weak legs, but her eyes turned to Will as a simple smile bloomed.

  Next to the slime woman, a hand gripped the edge of the casket, followed by another and another and another. Green skin glowed in the dim light as a bald head with pointed ears rose up from the casket. Eyes darted in all directions as a 4-armed woman sat up and soon stood up. Unlike the kobold and slime, this creature didn’t suffer any weakness as she stepped out of the casket. Arms hung at her sides as she looked around confused and a little lost.

  “I’ll make some more clothes,” Milly said as she hopped up, turned and rushed to the Crafting Bench.

  The slime bobbed on transparent legs, glancing around slowly like she was using her eyes for the first time. The green skinned woman lifted one of her arms to her head, rubbing a temple. Sil sat down on the floor as she looked to everyone in turn.

  Val crossed her arms. “You have the power to wake up savage creatures. This is a surprise.”

  Will nodded. “It was the first thing I learned when I woke up here on Jova.”

  The player turned his attention to the slime and four-armed woman. “Do you have names?”

  The slime opened a rudimentary mouth as a strange gurgling sound came out. She closed it and tried again, sounds taking form. “Belle,” the slime said simply.

  Will nodded. “Pleased to meet you, Belle.”

  The player turned his attention to the Stalker when his eyes widened. She rushed him, arms out. Before he could react, the Stalker’s arms embraced around his arms and chest, hugging him close to her bountiful chest.

  “I’m Nova and I just want to hug you!” the Stalker screeched.

  Energy began to glow along her chest and Will struggled to break free. He knew what was coming and he had to get away as soon as possible. Morgan and Val took a step forward, stopping as soon as Nova looked to them with a wide grin. The energy around her chest died and she eased up.

  “Nova, please, let me go,” Will managed as he regained his breath.

  The green skinned woman reared her head back before letting go. Will nearly stumbled back, catching himself from falling and rubbing his arms. She had a hell of a grip and he swore it was stronger this time than the first time he met her.

  “I’m sorry,” Nova said with clear regret in her eyes. “I get excited and can’t control myself sometimes. The urge to hug takes over when I’m not thinking.”

  Will tried to hide his chuckle and failed. “It’s okay,” he managed. “I’m sure there is some getting used to, for all of us.”

  The three women glanced to each other before looking to Will in unison.

  “There will be a lot for us to talk about, but I think we should all get some rest,” Will smiled.

  Milly returned with robes. She handed one to Belle. The slime took it and stuffed the whole thing in her widening mouth. Val and Morgan watched, astonished as the robe slipped into her mouth and slid down to her stomach. A moment later, it began to bubble and churn before it broke into large chunks.

  “No clothes for you,” Will grinned.

  Nova slipped on the robe and smiled, seeing that there were four sleeves, one for each arm. Closing it, she hugged herself, shutting her eyes and giving an innocent smile.

  Sil eyed the slime and stalker before looking to Will. “Do we have to stay here?”

  Will’s smile faded. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, but it is dangerous out there at night. You can leave in the morning if you wish?”

  Sil dipped her small snout. “There would be no place for me to go. My tribe is gone.”

  Will nodded. “I’m looking to start a tribe of my own, if you’re willing to stay?”

  The kobold looked up to the man’s warm eyes, “I’ll think about it.”

  “The house is getting crowded,” Val said as she looked at her nails.

  Stella wrapped an arm around Val’s neck and leaned on her. “I think it’s getting cozy.”

  Val looked away, trying to not smile.

  Milly touched Will’s hand. “I’ll need some help making some more beds.”

  Will nodded. “Let’s get started.”

  ***

  The dreamscape curled with shifting places and people. Will found himself smiling in the dreamy ether, lost to a sensation he never thought he would ever know. Images of Sil, Belle and Nova spiraled on as he reached out to touch each one. They smiled as the images rippled and reformed. Heart thumping in his chest, the player felt warmer as he swam in invisible waters.

  Thoughts connected, linking together in a chain. Will had arrived in this strange world alone, but with each passing day, he felt more and more at home. An alien past howled in the vast distance, but Will ignored it, enjoying the dream swim. A sense of love and accomplishment filled him as he brought a few creatures from the savagery of the world and into a higher state of being. Yir’s words echoed, telling him to find his tribe. The player’s smile grew as he felt it was actually happening.

  Digital blood pumped and bliss touched nerves. A wolf howled and he howled to it, two crescent moons rising in the dreamscape. He felt in tune with the world around him and he basked in its understanding. Yir gave him a gift and he accepted it, not knowing it was greater than anything he ever dreamed of before.

  Light touched the abyss and it curled away. Bliss grew with a rising tempo. Will waved to his dreams before he felt he was back in his body. Eyes opening, he blinked as wet sounds whispered. Pleasure filled him as he lifted his head, Milly’s head bobbing from between his legs, his manhood firmly in her mouth. Head falling back, he simply smiled, enjoying the warmth of her kiss in the waking morning light.

  The morning urges pushed at his body, begging for release. Will let his inner needs beg as he put an arm under his head, listening to Milly. A sh
adow touched the light from behind closed eyes. Will opened them again to see Sil staring down at him.

  The player sat up, but couldn’t move his hips as Milly held him firmly in place, not wanting to break the connection. Memory crashed into Will as he glanced over the side to the beds filling the lower floor of the slightly damaged home. Some bodies stirred as shafts of light poured in from windows.

  “I thought about what you said last night,” Sil began.

  “Um, okay,” Will gritted his teeth as he was close.

  Milly upped the tempo, trying to pull Will’s soul through his member.

  “I will stay, under the condition we wake many of my people from their lower selves,” the kobold said with an unwavering gaze.

  Will leaned back onto his hands, cock thickening and Milly giving a muffled moan. “I can agree to that.”

  Sil regarded the man in the compromised position before giving a small nod of her reptilian head. The kobold turned away and stepped toward the stairs before Will called out.

  “Sil, I want to help many and I want us to do it together.”

  Sil turned her head and gave a faint smile before turning it again to the stairs and stepping down.

  Will gritted his teeth as he was slowly losing control. The howling urges called for release and he was ready to let them out when someone climbed the stairs. Val yawned before her gaze looked down at Will’s wide eyes and Milly’s head bobbing a little faster. The pale beauty wore nothing but a black cloth underwear that almost looked like a bikini bottom.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to sleep in today. I can’t stay awake all night and all day for days on end,” Val said, not paying any mind to what was happening.

  “Okay,” Will grunted before he couldn’t hold back anymore.

  Spurts of white seed painted Milly’s throat and she quickly sucked it down, slowing her pace. Will sucked in air as sensitivity rode his nerves, but the horned woman didn’t let go. The blissful chorus died as Milly slowly suckled on Will’s member.

  “Dirty boy,” Val said as she turned on her heels and made her way down the stairs once again.

  ***

  Time and activities blended together into a digital tapestry of Will’s new reality. Repairs were made to strengthen the wall, making it twice as thick and about three feet taller. Everyone pulled their weight, working on moving stones and wood to areas and placing them where they needed to be.

  Will quickly noticed that he could place stones down in groups while Morgan, Nova, Sil, and Stella moved them to their new locations. When the wall was completed, some worked on the house while Will, Morgan, and Nova worked in the mines. Milly and Sil aided in adding materials to the crowded home while Belle often wandered, picking up anything that looked remotely like trash and consuming it.

  For a number of days, Will, Morgan, and Nova gathered raw stone. Chests were placed at a hollowed-out section at the top of the mine and filled with stacks of hard stone. Gemstones were discovered as they made their way deeper and added to the storage chests. They had only found a few opals, rubies, and sapphires, but Will made mental notes to take some time to discover what exactly he could use the gems for instead of simply adding them to soul stones.

  Copper was mined heavily, the trio discovering veins as they dug deeper into the ground. One chest was dedicated to metals and was quickly filled. Will hoped they would find other metals like iron or anything stronger, but at the first level of the mine, copper was the only metal in abundance. Missing his iron axe, he worked harder to dig deeper.

  Val slept most days and took night watch while everyone was sleeping. The sounds of ghouls beyond the walls turned into a normal occurrence. When she grew bored, the pale beauty worked on the Crafting Bench, imitating what Will and Milly would do and discovered she could make items just like them.

  Stella helped Milly at every turn. Will often emerged from the mine to see the two talking and laughing as they tended to the animals and crops. He couldn’t hide a happy smile as they seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

  Sil was often quiet. She asked Will to show her how to make weapons and the player agreed. The kobold made herself a copper spear and spent a few hours a day practicing in the morning before helping others with chores. Will noticed Sil moved with agility and grace, as if her mind was clear of distractions which made her a better fighter.

  While everyone worked, they were often surprised by sudden hugs from Nova. The Stalker often stopped what she was doing to hug someone close. At first, it was unnerving since sometimes energy would bloom from her chest, but over time, those instances grew fewer and far between. After a week, the energy glow didn’t appear as she snuggled against someone with a surprise hug.

  Dinner time became the communal gathering for discussing the future. It was agreed upon that they needed to increase the area they wanted to live in. Milly made paper with quills and ink, setting them down next to plates of food. Val brought up a castle again and everyone agreed it would be in their self-interests and afford better protections.

  Lists were made and some details drawn. Morgan often brought up what the structure should look like for maximum protection. When he put quill to paper, everyone gathered looked down in astonishment as his quill moved with precise grace. He drew a 3-D structure map of a pentagon shape with towers at each point. A single keep would make up the base while a tall tower in the middle could rise up and be a lookout for across the countryside. Morgan then brought up designs for large mounted crossbows to ensure if there was another hydra attack, they would be ready. Will attempted to create a normal crossbow, but found he didn’t know the recipe. When telling the others, everyone decided they would have to come back to it later, but the structure design was met with approving nods.

  The next day, the group gathered at the south wall and began construction.

  Will led the groups as they created an archway at the southern wall. Beyond it, they extended the walls outwards to the east and west and made their way south. There was a lot of land before they reached the cliffs and beach and Will wanted to make use of every bit of territory. The extended wall was completed in two days, the southern wall overlooking the cliffs. After that, everyone was given a copper axe. Most of the walled land was cleared of trees. Milly collected seeds while Belle wandered, eating anything that was left behind. Most of the work was done by day, Val sleeping it off with a smug smile.

  Once the land was cleared of trees, scrolls with designs for each section of the castle were handed out. Will placed towering pyramids of stone blocks and the makeshift family went to work. Nova, with her four arms, often brought supplies to each builder. Belle wandered and watched while Will, Milly, Morgan, Sil, and Stella were set to task. Days turned into weeks as they worked, building sections and sometimes in frustration, rebuilding sections. Morgan was apt and able at his job as was Milly. Stella often found herself building towers incorrectly. Despite her strength, she wasn’t always enthused to build every day. Will often rubbed his temples trying to explain what to do and found himself repeating himself. One day Stella wanted to show him her work and when she pulled him along, his eyes drank in a giant penis statue she made.

  Will stared at it for ten seconds before he started laughing.

  Stella smiled as she told him she would try harder but she was glad to make him laugh. The witch shattered the statue with a pickaxe before returning to work. The tension broken; the work progressed smoothly until the castle reached completion.

  At the end of the third week, the group gathered before the main steps leading into the castle with inspired hearts. Milly spent some of her time shearing wool and building furniture. With the castle complete, Will placed furniture in his inventory and moved toward the castle. Days rolled on, the group breaking into pairs and working to fill rooms with tables, chairs and beds. A main hall led to a five-point branch, slightly smaller hallways leading into the five sections. Three points of the pentagon shaped castle faced north while two points faced south to th
e cliffs and ocean. The main keep had four levels, not including the towers. Sections were broken up into royal quarters, workshops, supplies, dining, guest quarters, and gathering halls. It was during this time that Val was instrumental in everything having its proper place. The pale beauty worked feverishly to ensure the keep had functionality, flow, and class. Will often took a step back once he saw a few rooms Val designed. She seemed to have a greater understanding of space, using it to its maximum potential. After another week, the castle was finished.

  On a cloudy morning, the group moved into royal quarters. Morgan brought up the subject of naming the keep so there would be no confusion. Several names were thrown out and quickly shot down. Stella called the keep, Castle Spiky which issued many groans. Val was the one to tap at her cheek and suggested Castle Thorn. Will was about to shake his head when he remembered the thorny roses encircling Val’s body when he first woke her up from her tomb. The image burned in his mind for its beauty and decided the name worked. Heads nodded in agreement as Belle oozed on red slimy legs, repeating Castle Thorn ad nauseum.

  Will walked into his master bedchamber with a smile on his face. Milly outdid herself with designs, rugs, oversized bed, and plush seating. An alcove stood to the side with a desk and an open view from the fourth-floor balcony. His bedchamber was at the front point of Castle Thorn, looking out over the land and his small, wooden home. Gazing down as he leaned against the edge of the balcony, he drank in the vast forests and occasional mountains in the distance. His gaze lingered on the mountain that had held the Yir Idol before shifting his gaze to another mountain in the distance, a small thought whispering the second Idol’s location.

  During the construction, thoughts of the second Idol stabbed at his mind. A yearning fueled him to find it, but he knew he had to take care of his small tribe before he could take on that journey. With a second glance to the mountain, he turned and stepped back into his bedchamber.